Let the Training Begin
Training for a 14-month road trip is a daunting task. Everyone has to approach it in their own way. I for one went a little crazy. To put this in perspective, in the summer of 2016 I hiked 750 miles of the Appalachian trail from Amicalola Falls, Georgia to Troutville, Virginia. It was an amazing experience. The freedom of solo hiking is hard to match in other sports. So this got me thinking about what I would do when I got home. On the way home, I decided to sign up for, train, and run the Harrisburg Marathon in November. Here I am, ten steps from the finishing line. It was one of the things that I will never forget. I am not a natural athlete, but I have found that I am built to cover long distances, sometimes in one go and sometimes slowly day after day.
Mike (Beaver One) does not think like this. He believes that getting up to run at 2:30 am on long-run days is an abomination! So lucky for me, I get to do my cross-training days with him in the woods, which is more fun... but don't tell him I think that. We are lucky to live in PA where there are some good trails with a bit of elevation change so that one can put on a pack and get in a workout. This type of hiking will allow us to start getting ready for things like the Wonderland Trail and Glacier National Park that are "must sees" for us on this adventure.
Here is Mike last week on day one of his get-ready-to-hike plan. You have to remember that he had a double knee replacement last year, so it is very encouraging that he is able to carry a 3/4 weight pack. It has been fascinating to watch him recover from these two surgeries. At age 32 most people are not getting knee replacements, but if he wanted to ever be able to do over 15-mile days again then surgery was the only way. The work to get back to pre-surgery shape has been daunting. Prior to surgery, Mike averaged 22 miles a day on his AT thru-hike attempt. Unfortunately, that (along with some inherited knee structural defects) is what ultimately led to his necessary surgeries.
Now, lest you think that I was the reason that he had this work done, allow me to dispel that by saying that I met him after knee one was complete and just days before knee two... Here he is hiking the Boon and Lenape trails at French Creek last week. The bit of snow was lovely and we had a great day out.
